Corgi 1/120 NRM LNER 4-6-2 Sir Nigel Gresley A4 Class 60007 (ST97502)

This Corgi Rail Legend encapsulates the glory of this piece of British history.

In 1937 the 100th Gresley Pacific was built by London and North Eastern Railway who paid reverence to its designer by giving the 4-6-2 locomotive his name. Originally numbered 4498, Sir Nigel Gresley was due to receive the name Bittern, before the realisation of its commemorative status. As with the earlier LNER A4 Pacifics, it was built with a single chimney and side valances covering the wheels which were later removed to improve maintenance access.

Sir Nigel Gresley carries a commemorative plaque as the holder of the post-war steam speed record reaching 112mph in May 1959. As with the Mallard?s record this was achieved descending southward from Stoke Summit, but unlike the Mallard?s special attempt this was with a full train of passengers returning from an excursion. As with other A4s, Sir Nigel Gresley has worn many liveries throughout its career. When released to traffic in October 1937 it carried the standard LNER garter blue of the A4 Pacifics and has since carried various liveries. Sir Nigel Gresley, now bearing the British Railways number 60007 with a British Railways blue livery, was saved from scrapping in 1966 by a small group of men who set up the ?A4 Preservation Society?, later known as ?The A4 Locomotive Society Ltd? and now ?The Sir Nigel Gresley Locomotive Preservation Trust Ltd?. ?The A4 Locomotive Society? has since become the subsidiary company that operates the locomotive for the Trust. The Trust is committed to keeping the locomotive operating and running special excursions on both the main line and heritage railways such as the North Yorkshire Moors Railway where it is based.

Length 180mm.

During the 1930s the railway companies were starting to feel the increased competition from air and road travel as the demand for speed, efficiency and luxury grew. Despite the proved success of the A3s, Gresley and his engineers needed to take the next step to become quicker and more efficient.

Whilst looking at ways to progress he travelled to Germany and America looking at their evolvement but because of size restrictions on the British railway network he discovered that their larger locomotives were not an option. It was then that chief designer Sir Nigel Gresley looked into aerodynamics, thus creating the Silver Jubilee streamlined trains which were inspired by a Bugatti rail-car that he observed on a trip to France.

After wind tunnel tests it was also discovered that not only could they achieve greater speeds whilst using less energy, the design also meant that an updraft off the locomotive pushed the steam upwards giving the driver improved driving vision. Over a three year period between 1935 and 1938 there were a total of thirty five A4s built at the LNER's Doncaster works.

The first four A4s all had the word 'Silver' in the title, this was in relation to the King George V Silver Jubilee, five were named after Commonwealth countries but with Gresley being a keen bird watcher, the majority were named after fast flying birds. Arguably the most famous of all the class is the Mallard, carrying the distinctive streamline casing in Garter Blue, the appearance of this A4 depicts the 1930s real captivation with speed and luxury.

The Mallard was the locomotive chosen to attempt breaking the world speed record, on the 3rd July 1938 heading south at Stoke Bank near Grantham, the Mallard broke the record measuring 125.88mph. To this day it still holds the record for being the fastest steam locomotive in the world. The Mallard is now part of the National Railway Collection on static display at Shildon.